Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 4th September 2018
Present Cllrs. Dr. S. Dawson,(chairman) M. Turville-Petre, D. Harrod. Dist. Cllr. D. Young
and Five members of the public. J.Stibbons(clerk)
The meeting opened at 7.30pm
1.Apologies None
2.Co-option of new member. Due to the requirement of the disclosure of personal information the prospective candidate declined the appointment.
3. Declarations of interest. Dr. S. Dawson item 9
4. The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 17th July 2018. It was proposed, seconded and resolved that the minutes be approved. The chairman then signed the minutes.
5. Matters arising from the Minutes. None
6 Any reports from the Police, County or District Councillors
Dist Cllr. D. Young
. A planning application for the new Splash centre has been submitted. It is planned to be opened in early 2021. The existing Splash building will stay open until then. Following its demolition, thoughts are now turning to a "housing with care" complex. The cost is budgeted at £10.7m and an application for a £1m grant from Sport England will be made in August. The Sports Hub based around new indoor tennis facilities at Cromer are on track for opening in May 2019. The cost is budgeted at £3.45m.
. Full Council in June approved the provisional Outturn Report for the year to 31 March 2018. The revenue account shows an under-spend of £994,000 after slippage in capital projects has been removed. The surplus has been transferred to the Capital Projects Reserve and will help to fund the new Splash. The General Reserve stands at£2.2m while earmarked reserves bring total reserves up to £21.7m.
. The council's cautious forecasting suggests a deficit increasing to £2m over three years. The council recently set up a £2m Local Asset Investment Fund to identify new opportunities. This will be subject to considerable oversight by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
. A motion to the effect that the District Council should ask the County Council to reconsider its recently-imposed charges on DIY waste at council recycling centres, due to the effect on the incidence of fly-tipping. Unfortunately the motion was lost by the Chairman's casting vote.
. The council recently spent £250,000 from its £2.4m Community Housing Fund to help Holt Housing society acquire 4 dwellings; three new ones on the Kings Meadow development and one existing dwelling in the town.
. The waste contract with Kier is to be extended for another year to 31 March 2020. It is the intention to combine with some other authorities to negotiate a longer contract to start in April 2020.
. In dealing with the owners of sub-standard private rented properties, there is now an option to adopt a policy of financial penalties (up to £30k) instead of prosecution. This policy was agreed.
Council agreed to a variation of the Articles of Victory Housing Trust to enable its proposed partnership with Flagship Housing Group Ltd. It is proposed that Victory would be owned by Flagship but will retain its name, charitable status and identity. It's arrangements with its 7,000 or so current tenants will be unchanged and in addition it will manage another 7,000 Norfolk dwellings owned by Flagship.
The new arrangements are expected to produce considerable economies of scale. Flagship's ability to build market housing will also facilitate the ability of Victory to become involved in the development of Exception Sites where a small proportion of market housing is needed to make the scheme viable.
. Cabinet considered the recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee's recent review of the progress of the Local Plan. It recommended benchmarking against other similar authorities to ensure best practice in the approach to an appropriate housing mix, including those designed for an aging population and a more flexible approach to the mixed use of brownfield sites. It asked for further work to be
undertaken in regard to innovations in the provision of affordable housing including the definition of what is "usefully affordable" across North Norfolk. It also recommends that the council reviews the introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy and other options to generate funding for infrastructure.
. Cabinet also considered further investment in developing the Egmere Business Zone Project that would involve leasing land for 99 years. However, Scrutiny's Asset Management Working Group recommends that this is not undertaken as it lacks evidence of the demand that would create extra jobs and economic development. It has a very long payback period and a rate of return of only 1.62%. [Cabinet decided to proceed despite Scrutiny's advice.]
. Cabinet is also asked to recommend to Full Council the provision of a grant or interest-free loan of up to £425,000 to Housing and Care 21 to support the delivery of 66 "extra care" flats at Fakenham.
. Cabinet is also to recommend to Full Council the establishment of a capital budget of £600,000 to fund phase 1 of the Public Convenience Strategy which, inter alia, involves rebuilding toilets in Wells and Sheringham and upgrading buildings in Fakenham and North Walsham.
. Cabinet is also expected to appoint legal counsel to represent the Council during the examination stage of the applications for the three Development Consent Orders for offshore wind farms off Weybourne and Happisburgh, and also to approve spending £400,000 on the steelwork and decking below the end of Cromer Pier in advance of the £275,000 to be spent on the theatre roof. Based on figures to end July, there is a projected revenue underspend of £353,000 for this financial year.
. I have had some encouraging news. The surveyor at the County Council seemed to understand the misconceptions that surrounded their previous valuation of the potential affordable housing site on the corner of Market Lane. She has a meeting with NNDC and Broadland Housing later this month with regard to an open-book assessment as to the value of the site.
7. Planning
PF/18/1073 Construction of flood defence wall & fenestration alterations to main dwelling &
extension & conversion of garage to become an annexe Eastgate Cottage, Cross Street, Salthouse.
PF/18/1410 Removal of roof to outbuilding and erection of new gable end, erection of single
storey rear extension and construction of boundary wall Ivy Cottage, Purdy Street, Salthouse.
Applications 18/1073 and 18/1410 were resolved by email and the comments (where appropriate) placed on
the NNDC web site.
PF/18/1410 Removal of roof to outbuilding and erection of new gable end, erection of single storey rear
extension and construction of boundary wall Ivy Cottage, Purdy Street, Salthouse. No objection.
8. Allotments/Playing Field.
A rent review was carried out by NPS (the landlords) and they decided not to increase the rent for the next three years. The next rent review will be in 2021.
9. Financial matters. Bank Balances at 04/9//2018 Current a/c £7458.40 Savings a/c £4680.96
It was agreed that a grant of £543.25 should be made to the village hall to cover insurance costs.
The following payments were approved and cheques signed:-
J. Stibbons Salary and expenses £506.73
HMRC PAYE £92
J. Wright Grass cutting £300
S. Dawson Summer party £40.65
It was agreed to ask for a breakdown of costs for the grass cutting in future.
10. Correspondence
Norfolk County Farms. Importation of Paper Pulp.
11. Matters for information only or for the next agenda. None
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